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Life Cycle Management 2017 conference

Confirms life cycle thinking remains at the heart of ArcelorMittal’s automotive strategy

ArcelorMittal acted as the industry co-chair of the 2017 Life Cycle Management (LCM 2017) conference held at the beginning of September 2017 in Luxembourg. Brian Aranha, executive vice president and head of strategy, CTO, R&D and global automotive gave the keynote address, outlining how new steels are driving the circular economy – and innovative solutions for future mobility. He also stressed the importance of life cycle analysis to ArcelorMittal’s global automotive strategy.

ArcelorMittal, together with the wider steel industry, has been working collaboratively to educate automakers and stakeholders on the importance of life cycle analysis (LCA). While existing regulations focus on tailpipe emissions, LCA looks at total emissions generated during the three stages of a vehicle’s life: production, drive phase, and recycling at end of life.

Many alternative materials offer significant lightweighting opportunities which have distinct advantages during the drive phase of a vehicle’s life. But compared to steel their production and disposal have a much larger cost to the environment.

Watch the video report

Watch the video report about the 8th International Conference on Life Cycle Management (LCM2017) which took place on 3rd – 6th September 2017 in Luxembourg at the European Convention Center.

Part of the fabric of our business

One of the most amazing things about steel is that its properties allow it to be recycled continually into any number of products, with no loss of strength or performance. The physical properties of automotive aluminum prevent it from being recycled the same way. Unlike steel, aluminum must be sorted and recycled to the same grade, which is time consuming, expensive, and adds to the environmental cost.

Brian Aranha stressed the importance of understanding the complete life cycle cost of automotive materials to create vehicles which are truly ‘green’. ArcelorMittal’s strategy is to use LCA to ensure that vehicle manufacturers are not making huge and irreversible environmental mistakes when choosing ‘light’ materials. When LCA factors are considered, advanced high strength steels (AHSS) offer OEMs the chance to create light and fuel-efficient vehicles, but without the environmental cost of alternatives.

By-products of steel used to make cement and electricity, even ethanol

ArcelorMittal also chaired a session on carbon capture and utilization (CCU) during LCM2017. The session examined how new CCU technologies could be promoted, and the assessment methodology and regulatory framework required for their deployment.

Brian Aranha noted that ArcelorMittal was already exploring this area: “By-products that we produce in our steelmaking facilities are already being used to make cement and electricity. We are now experimenting with the use of certain biofuels which are grown as trees and put into our blast furnaces. We can recycle the carbon dioxide and turn it into ethanol in an experimental project we are undertaking. Life cycle management is very much part of the fabric of our business.”

The conference was unexpectedly honored by a visit by the Grand-Duke of Luxembourg and his son Prince Louis. During a short formal exchange during the LCM2017 closing ceremony, the Grand-Duke expressed his surprise at how steel has re-invented itself to create a bright future in the automotive sector.

"New steels are providing better strength and ductility with less material, and they have significant advantages for the circular economy."

Brian Aranha, executive vice president and head of strategy, CTO, R&D and global automotive, stressing the importance of life cycle analysis to ArcelorMittal’s global automotive strategy and to the automotive industry as a whole.

About LCM

Held in Luxembourg at the beginning of September, LCM2017 attracted more than 720 delegates from 46 countries. Hosted by the Luxembourg Institute of Science & Technology (LIST), LCM2017 covered topics related to life cycle sustainability and the circular economy and involved specialists in these areas from science, industry, NGOs, and public bodies. LCM takes place every two years and is organized each time by a leading research institution and industry in the field of life cycle management.